The Cutie Keeps Falling for the Wrong Girl [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 35.1

Li Zhaodi ended up paying for the wontons after all.

As they stepped out of the shop, Lu Huan said, “One good turn deserves another. I’ll treat you next time.”

Li Zhaodi remained silent for a few seconds before giving a quiet, “Mm.”

When they reached an alley, Lu Huan glanced inside. Catching Li Zhaodi off guard, she pulled the woman into the shadows and pinned her against the wall. Due to their height difference, Lu Huan had to tilt her head back to look at her. Even so, her aura remained dominant. Her red lips parted slightly as she asked, “Does this count as you agreeing to date me?”

Li Zhaodi’s mind was still blank. Her reflex was to refuse, but when she saw the woman’s face and that unwavering gaze, her mouth opened and then snapped shut. She turned her face away and muttered, “I didn’t say that.”

“Hmm?” Lu Huan didn’t catch it. Her slender fingers pinched Li Zhaodi’s chin and turned her face back. Their skin—one porcelain white, the other a sun-kissed wheat—met in a contrast that wasn’t jarring, but rather strangely seductive.

“What did you just say?” Lu Huan looked her straight in the eye.

Staring into those eyes, the words died in Li Zhaodi’s throat.

Lu Huan pressed her forefinger against the other woman’s lips, her voice carrying a hint of a threat. “I don’t want to hear a ‘no’ from this mouth.”

It was clearly a threat, yet Li Zhaodi’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t help but swallow hard—a small gesture that did not escape Lu Huan’s notice.

The woman smiled triumphantly. Her finger slid from Li Zhaodi’s lips down to her neck, tracing light circles. Li Zhaodi’s gaze drifted uncontrollably to the woman’s face; when Lu Huan looked up, their eyes locked.

An ambiguous, charged atmosphere swirled between them.

Beep! Beep! The sound of a car horn at the mouth of the alley jolted them both. Li Zhaodi stiffened instantly. Realizing how she had just reacted, she panicked. She wanted to push the woman away but didn’t quite dare to, so she simply stood there, her back pressed flat against the wall.

Lu Huan found it amusing to tease her—seeing her flustered made Lu Huan even more delighted. She hooked her arm around Li Zhaodi’s neck, pulling her into a slight bow. Lu Huan stood on her tiptoes, pressed a brief kiss to the corner of the woman’s mouth, and then stepped back.

“I’ll come find you again tomorrow,” she said. Without waiting for a reaction, she turned and walked away with effortless grace.

Li Zhaodi stood in the alley for a long time, her hand touching the corner of her lips where the warmth of the woman still lingered. She remained there, looking dazed.

“What’s with you? You look like you’ve lost your soul.” Old Zhao, sitting at the shop entrance, saw his apprentice return. Looking closer, he noticed her expression was off. “Was it that woman from earlier who hooked you?”

“It was not!” Li Zhaodi blurted out. Immediately realizing her blunder, her ears turned bright red. “I’m going to tidy the warehouse,” she muttered, bolting toward the back of the shop.

Watching her flee, Old Zhao let out a hearty laugh. “And she says it wasn’t! It’s written all over her face.”

With her workload cut in half, Lu Huan left the office at six in the evening. The employees gossiped behind her back.

“I heard President Pei went on a blind date yesterday.” “Is she leaving this early today for a date?” “Ah! No! Is my ‘husband’ going to marry some other man?” “Who is this incredible man who finally made President Pei stop working overtime?”

Lu Huan drove out of the garage and parked directly in front of Little Zhao’s Plumbing and Electrical Repair. The boss wasn’t in; only the apprentice was there.

Hearing footsteps, Li Zhaodi looked up to speak, but froze when she saw the woman in high heels walking toward her.

“Dazed again?” Lu Huan pulled a stool over and sat beside her. She leaned forward to see what book Li Zhaodi was reading so intently. Seeing it was about electrical engineering, she retracted her gaze.

“You… why are you here?” Li Zhaodi was genuinely stunned. She thought the woman had been joking yesterday; she hadn’t expected her to actually show up.

“Didn’t I say I was coming?” Lu Huan looked at her. “I’m thirsty.”

Li Zhaodi immediately went to pour her a drink. This time it was warm water, handed over at just the right temperature.

Lu Huan accepted it appreciatively. After a few sips, she asked, “Where is your master? Can the shop close now?”

“The shop stays open until ten. Master is out on a job.”

“Then let’s order takeout and eat here,” Lu Huan suggested.

Li Zhaodi shook her head. “I can make some noodles.” She paused, adding belatedly, “If you don’t mind.”

After leaving the office, Lu Huan had taken off her blazer. She wore a red blouse with two buttons undone at the collar and her sleeves rolled up. The red fabric made her skin look even fairer.

Li Zhaodi’s eyes kept drifting uncontrollably to her collarbone and arms.

“I don’t mind,” Lu Huan said, standing up. “I’ve made noodles for you before, after all.”

Thinking of the bowl of noodles that had left her stuffed, Li Zhaodi smiled. “Wait here, I’ll go to the kitchen in the back and make them.”

“I’ll come with you,” Lu Huan said, moving to follow.

Li Zhaodi hesitated. “The kitchen is very small.”

“It’s fine.” However, when Lu Huan saw the kitchen, she realized it was indeed tiny—it was difficult for even one person to turn around.

“I’ll stand at the door and watch you,” Lu Huan said.

“Okay.”

Lu Huan leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, watching Li Zhaodi cook with focus. Remembering something, she asked, “I haven’t asked you yet—how old are you?”

“Nineteen.” Li Zhaodi glanced back at her.

Lu Huan’s eyebrows arched. Looking at her face and personality, she truly couldn’t imagine the girl was so young.

“How many years have you been working?” She clearly wasn’t a newcomer to society; she looked like she had years of experience.

“I started working when I was sixteen. It’s been three years,” Li Zhaodi said, stirring the noodles in the pot with chopsticks.

“Sixteen?” Lu Huan was surprised again. “Right after middle school?”

“Yes.” Li Zhaodi didn’t find it shameful to have started working then. “In our village, girls are usually expected to get married at sixteen.” As she spoke, she lowered her eyelashes and kept her eyes on the roiling noodles.

Though her face remained neutral, Lu Huan sensed a wave of melancholy. On an impulse, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Li Zhaodi’s waist from behind. As she held her, she realized the woman actually had abdominal muscles. She had intended to offer comfort, but her attention was instantly diverted. Her hands began to wander curiously over the other’s stomach.

“You actually have abs!” she exclaimed in surprise.

Li Zhaodi’s hand trembled, nearly knocking the pot over. Her face turned crimson. “Pei… Pei Xuan, stop… stop it.”

Amused by the reaction, Lu Huan laughed softly. She stayed there, hugging her with her face pressed against the girl’s back. “You’re very warm,” she whispered.

“What?” The transition was so fast and the voice so low that Li Zhaodi didn’t hear her clearly.

Lu Huan didn’t answer; she just kept her eyes closed, leaning against her.

Li Zhaodi was uncomfortable at first, but looking down at the slender, fair arms around her waist, she found herself unable to pull away. Feeling the contact against her back, she felt a sudden craving for this warmth.

In all her life, she had rarely been held. The only other time was a year ago when her master was sick; she had gone to a client’s house to fix a pipe, and a male customer had grabbed her from behind. It had disgusted her for a long time, and it was then she realized her true orientation.

But now, being held by this beautiful woman, there was no disgust—only a warmth that made her eyes prickle. To hide it, she blinked rapidly, pushing back the tears.

“The noodles are ready.” Just as Lu Huan was about to fall asleep against her back, Li Zhaodi spoke. The vibration of her voice resonated against Lu Huan’s ear; she realized then that this girl, eight years her junior, had a very pleasant voice.

Li Zhaodi brought out a folding table and set it up in the middle of the shop. Both sides were lined with cabinets filled with parts and tools; the center was the only open space.

The noodles were simple, served with a few green leaves in a clear broth. It looked plain, but it smelled wonderful. After a steady diet of rich food and instant noodles, this light meal was refreshing.

Lu Huan finished the entire bowl, leaving not a drop of soup. She ended up overeating. “I ate too much. My stomach feels a bit bloated,” she said, frowning slightly in discomfort.

Li Zhaodi stopped cleaning the dishes. She frowned, unsure of what to do. If she were the one feeling bloated, she would just endure it, but seeing the woman in distress made her feel helpless.

Seeing her worried expression, Lu Huan felt a pang of affection. She tilted her chin up and said, “Come here and rub it for me.”

“Huh?” Li Zhaodi was stunned.

When she didn’t move, Lu Huan clutched her stomach and groaned, “It hurts!”

Li Zhaodi panicked and rushed over, crouching beside her. She placed a hand on Lu Huan’s stomach. “Are you okay? Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

“It’ll be better if you just rub it.” Lu Huan placed her hand over the back of Li Zhaodi’s, guiding her hand to massage her stomach gently. Her eyes remained fixed on the girl. “Just like that.”

Li Zhaodi obediently massaged her, but her ears were a deep scarlet. She didn’t dare look at the charismatic woman in front of her.

“Little Li, your master is back!” Old Zhao’s booming voice echoed from outside. When he walked in, he saw his apprentice frantically knocking over a chair, looking for all the world like she’d been caught doing something scandalous.

Meanwhile, the other woman in the shop calmly adjusted her glasses and nodded to him. “Hello, Master Zhao.”

“You’re the one from yesterday…” Old Zhao remembered her instantly. She was simply too beautiful to forget.

“I’m Pei Xuan. You can call me Xiao Xuan,” Lu Huan said.

Old Zhao nodded with a smile, then looked at his apprentice and then back at the woman. “What exactly is… going on here?”

“I came by to have dinner with her. Since she couldn’t leave the shop, she made me noodles,” Lu Huan explained.

“No, I mean, what is your relationship?” Old Zhao asked, his eyes full of gossip.

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